Bouchard: Make it easier for businesses to hire workers in Michigan

Bouchard, a Republican contender for the state’s highest job, said tough and unpopular decisions must be made to get the state’s fiscal house in order and to draw employers to the economically struggling state.

The Oakland County sheriff stopped Monday in Saginaw to roll out an economic rebound plan with the Duperion Corp. headquarters in the Commerce Building, 515 N. Washington, as a backdrop.

Entrepreneurial companies like Duperion, a manufacturer of water filtration equipment, are key to an economic revival because they employ eight out of 10 people, he said.

“We need to get out of the way and help them, not punish them,” he said.

As part of a government reform and economic reboot, Bouchard called for a part-time Legislature that meets once every two years on a two-year budget cycle.

He also said the state should impose a May 15 deadline to have a budget settled or lawmakers would face a reduction in pay for every day it’s past due.

Bouchard said the Michigan Business Tax has “gotta go” and should be replaced with a tax on profits that competes with rates in other states.

“The Michigan Business Tax is uncompetitive and we have to scrap that,” he said.

Lawmakers in Lansing should require all public service workers wages and benefits stay within 5 percent of comparable private sector jobs, he said. He would replace pensions with savings contributions plans.

“We’ve gotten dramatically out of line with the private sector,” he said.

Michigan, which once had private pay rates in the top 20 states, now ranks in the bottom 10, he said.

“Our people have less money in their pocket,” Bouchard said. “We can’t expect them to give it to government.”

He also called for a “cafeteria-style” health care plan that gives two or three health care choices for public sector government workers.

Bouchard added the state has $53 billion in future unfunded liabilities.

“By the way, Michigan is bankrupt,” he said. “They’re just not admitting it.”

Any tax or major spending hikes should require a “super majority” or two-thirds vote in the Legislature, he said.

The state also should create a Taxpayer Disclosure Act to require each agency post every check and state worker salary and benefits online for public transparency, Bouchard said.

He also called for the elimination of state services duplicated by the federal government.

Moreover, he said he would issue an executive order to use Michigan universities research and development to aid state companies that can bring products to market. A “small percentage” of the products’ sales would be put in a revolving fund to invest in university research, his campaign said.

A part-time chamber, super majority votes and some changes to worker benefits would require constitutional amendments.

Bouchard, sheriff of Oakland County, faces a crowded field in the Aug. 3 primary. Other GOP contenders are Attorney General Mike Cox of Livonia, state Sen. Tom George of Texas Township in Kalamazoo County, U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra of Holland and Ann Arbor businessman Rick Snyder.

In the Democratic aisle, Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, House Speaker Andy Dillon of Redford Township in Wayne County and state Rep. Alma Wheeler Smith of Salem Township in Washtenaw County have declared their candidacies.